Inclusion Foothills is celebrating a quarter-century of supporting and advocating for individuals and families to become fully involved in their communities.
The High River-based non-profit, one of seven local charities being supported by this year’s Western Wheel Cares campaign, marked its 25th anniversary in October, having come a long way from those early days in the late 1990s.
Executive director Orvella Small, who was one of the founding members, said the organization started when three families joined forces to find ways of supporting each other as well as other families in the Foothills.
“We just started coming together and having meetings and bringing speakers in and offering the supports that we could as parent to parent at that time,” Small said of the humble beginnings.
She said the non-profit eventually was able to hire staff and expand programming to meet the needs of families.
“Everybody that we met with back then had little kids and now those little kids, when you think about it 25 years later, are hopefully working, maybe have gone to post-secondary or are finding a way to live out in the community,” Small said. “So those kids 25 years ago are showing us what can happen over 25 years.”
She said Inclusion Foothills typically begins its relationship with individuals when they’re young, supporting them throughout their youth and as they transition into the adult world. That support continues throughout adulthood, for both the participant and their family, to augment government services, build social connections and help develop skills.
Growth experienced last year coming out of the pandemic did not slow in 2023, pushing the number of families served in the Foothills to 1,326 as of October.
Operating a JOBz Centre in both Okotoks and High River, the non-profit received almost half-a-million in provincial funding earlier this year for a three-year Employment Partnership Project that aims to increase the number of inclusive employers.
“The government expects that people with disabilities can give back to the community the same as anyone else can, and so with that expectation comes the expectation that businesses will just hire,” said Small.
“But I think to be fair to businesses, businesses need that support too, so that's why we wrote for this project to be able to support business and be there for them as they work towards an inclusive employment opportunity for individuals.”
Small said the annual donation from Western Wheel Cares comes at an opportune time as the organization sees little in the way of funding early in the year. She said the money will support families to ensure their children are able to live inclusive lives in the community.
This year’s Western Wheel Cares campaign runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 and 100 per cent of donations go to the featured charities.
In 2022, the campaign raised a record $82,670, pushing its 11-year total to $569,059.
Each week, the Wheel will feature one of the seven organizations — Foothills Advocacy in Motion Society, Foothills Country Hospice, Inclusion Foothills, Okotoks Food Bank, Pound Rescue, Rowan House Society and Sheep River Health Trust — supported by the initiative.
To donate to Western Wheel Cares, mail cheques to Box 150, Okotoks, AB, T1S 2A2 or visit westernwheel.ca/western-wheel-cares for a Paypal donation link.
As well, you can drop by the Wheel office at 9 McRae St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) or call 403-938-6397.
